Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
97 How I love your ·teachings [instructions; laws]!
I ·think about [ponder; meditate on] them all day long.
98 Your commands make me wiser than my enemies,
because they are mine forever.
99 I am ·wiser [more insightful] than all my teachers,
because I ·think about [ponder; meditate on] your ·rules [decrees; testimonies].
100 I have more understanding than the elders,
because I ·follow [protect] your ·orders [precepts].
101 I have ·avoided [L kept my feet from] every evil way
so I could ·obey [keep; guard] your word.
102 I haven’t ·walked [turned] away from your ·laws [judgments],
because you yourself are my teacher.
103 ·Your promises are sweet to me [L How sweet your words slip/slide down my palate],
sweeter than honey in my mouth!
104 Your ·orders [precepts] give me understanding,
so I hate lying ways.
Fire from the Lord
11 Now the people complained ·to [L in the ears of] the Lord about their troubles, and when he heard them, he became angry. Then fire from the Lord burned ·among the people at the edge [L on the outskirts] of the camp. 2 The people cried out to Moses, and when he prayed to the Lord, the fire stopped burning. 3 So that place was called Taberah [C “Burning”; Deut. 9:22], because the Lord’s fire had burned among them.
Seventy Elders Help Moses
4 Some ·troublemakers [rabble; foreign elements] among them wanted better food, and soon all the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] began ·complaining [L weeping]. They said, “We want meat! 5 We remember the fish we ate for free in Egypt. We also had cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic. 6 But now we have lost our ·appetite [or vitality; strength]; we never see anything but this manna [Ex. 16:1–36]!”
7 The manna was like ·small white seeds [L coriander seed and its color was like bdellium/gum resin]. 8 The people would go to gather it, and then grind it in handmills, or crush it ·between stones [with mortars]. After they ·cooked [or boiled] it in a pot or made cakes with it, it tasted like ·bread [cakes] baked with olive oil. 9 When the dew fell on the camp each night, so did the manna.
17 Brothers and sisters, I ·ask [urge; encourage] you to look out for those who cause ·divisions [dissension] and who ·upset other people’s faith [create obstacles/stumbling blocks]. ·They [or Such things] are against the true teaching you learned, so stay away from them. 18 Such people are not serving our Lord Christ but are ·only doing what pleases themselves [serving their own appetites/L bellies]. They use ·fancy [smooth] talk and ·fine words [flattery] to ·fool [deceive] the ·minds of those who do not know about evil [L hearts of the innocent/naive]. 19 All the believers have heard ·that you obey [about your obedience/faithfulness], so I ·am very happy [rejoice] because of you. But I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil.
20 The God ·who brings [L of] peace will soon ·defeat Satan and give you power over him [crush Satan under your feet; Gen. 3:15].
The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.